The Wedding Planner
by daybeforetomorrow
Summary: An outsider's POV of how Threads could go. Complete. All 11 Chapters are up.
1. Chapter 1

The Wedding Planner

_Genre: _Anti-Mary Jane and Romance? Humour and Angst too of course! S/J, S/P, J/other. The ending however, I shall not reveal.  
_ Spoilers:_ through Season 8 - Threads mainly  
_ Disclaimer:_ I really don't own them. None of them. Not a smidgen.. well maybe a smidgen. I own Katarina and that's about it. So please don't try and take away my imaginary money. I need it to buy more tea.  
_ For my brother and great thanks to Noble Mira for beta reading this thing. My first posted fic, please be kind._

She sat in the dark dank room and sighed. Straining her neck, she craned it to the light and smiled. The negatives had come out better than she had thought, and that was saying something. Sitting back in her chair, a smug grin crossed her face as she reached for her cell phone. Just as she had picked up the contraption the possessed thing began to ring, causing her to fly back a few feet and to drop the negatives back into the desk.

"Hello?"

Who on earth could be calling her at three in the morning?

"Katie? Is that you?"

She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear as she tried to go over the list of people in her life who would still call her by an old nickname. Drawing a blank, she sighed.

"Yes, speaking. Who is this?"

The other voice squealed in excitement, in an odd familiar way that she was sure she should be able to place. It sounded so… arg.

"It's Sam."

She nearly flew out of her chair.

"Sammy?"

"Oh wow" the voice said "I haven't been called that in forever."

A small silence ensued as she paced back and forth in the small space. It had been well over fifteen years since she had talked to her, and the curiosity was killing her. Not to mention the fact that her number was unlisted and her last name was different, the girl must have taken quite some time tracking her down.

"Must have taken you a while to get my number."

She hoped she wasn't being too obvious, but she was supposed to be hard to find.

"Yes, I had to pull a few strings." She paused. "Listen, I'm going to be in D.C. in a week for some business. I was wondering if we could have lunch together. Catch up."

Sighing out of the phone's reach, she pulled her lower lip under her teeth. Course her area code was DC, but this was a cell phone that happily worked in Portugal. Where she was standing currently. However it was in a week, she could catch a plane and rent an apartment in that time.

"Sure, I'd love to. Listen I'm busy now, but can I call you back tomorrow?"

Sam agreed and she quickly jotted down the number. Promising to call, she hung up and turned back to the negatives. Smiling again she marveled over her work of art, it really did exceed her expectations. A random noise of joy escaped her lips and she giddily flung her full weight back into the chair. Lord she needed to grow up.

Due to work related difficulties it took her two days to call Sam back, apologizing of course for the delay. Finding an apartment in DC had been harder than she had expected. Decorating the spacious place had been a blast, and she sat happily now in the middle of the peaches and cream room she had designed. Okay, maybe it was a touch too much on the girly side, but she had a persona to keep up. Slipping into a cream colored suit and polishing her already perfect hair twist, she put on some pumps and grabbed a matching purse before shutting the door.

Wandering down to the café she noticed a blonde woman sitting facing her direction that looked like a much older version of her childhood friend. She pondered how old she must look to Sam as well, before stopping to perch on her tiptoes and offer a gracious wave. Sam got up and the two embraced, before they both smiled and sat.

"Well, you look very old."

"You do too!"

They both sighed. No, they weren't fresh-faced twenty-year-olds anymore. The waiter brought Sam coffee and her tea. The both mixed their special concoctions and took a sip before Sam burst into speech.

"So much has changed." She nodded, so Sam continued. "You got married?"

She placed her cup back on the saucer and folded her hands in her lap. It was bound to come up.

"Yes, I did." She paused, cruelly allowing Sam to squirm a bit, before thinking better of it and continuing. "He died, in the line of duty."

"I'm sorry."

Yeah, she was too.

"Don't be. It was eight years ago." Sam looked a little hurt. "We eloped. There wasn't a wedding, so I didn't forget our promise, I just didn't have a chance to make good on it."

She eyed the ring on Sam's finger, motioning for her to elaborate.

"Oh," Sam looked at it and blushed. "This is why I'm here actually. I'm engaged."

Finally something good to smile about that wasn't work related.

"Wonderful!"

She waited for Sam to elaborate, but instead there was a silence again.

"So.." she began, trying to start up a conversation. "What are you doing now? Are you still in the Air Force?"

Sam nodded eagerly. "Yes, still in the Air Force."

"Great! So where are you stationed?"

The tension was back as Sam fingered her coffee cup.

"Cheyenne Mountain." The expected confusion appeared. "Doing deep space radar telemetry."

Bull. "Ahh." She exclaimed in that, right that's a big bunch of classified crap tone. "Sounds incredibly stimulating that.. deep space radar telemetry."

Sam nodded and they both burst into giggles. Yeah, it hadn't been the first time they had had one of these 'enlightening' conversations. The giggles receded, and Sam took on a more serious tone.

"So, what about you?"

She shifted in her chair. "No, no. " Her tone dropped before she cautiously elaborated. "I left the Marines after Brian died. I'm a private citizen now."

Sam nodded. "So what do you do now? You look very…" Sam eyed her near perfect appearance. "Polished."

"You mean girly. Yes, I know, but it comes with the territory. People have certain expectations of how wedding planners should look."

Sam nearly choked on her coffee. "You?" She muffled a laugh. "Are a wedding planner?"

"There's nothing wrong with being one!" Perhaps that was a bit too defensive. "It was an accident. Five years ago my four brothers all got married and they wanted help and it kind of became a career."

Sam giggled uncontrollably, she sank back defensively and rolled her eyes. "Sorry, sorry." Sam paused, before leaning in to whisper conspiratorially. "Do you show them your Marine tattoo?"

This time she couldn't help but join in the laughter. "No, no I don't. I think that's illegal in some places in the world anyway."

"Places in the world?"

She nodded. "Yes, I travel a great deal. I do mainly royal and head of state or country wedding now."

Sam seemed to understand. "So you plan a senator, a CEO, a Chief-of-Staff and a garage mechanic's weddings and you get a free new career?"

She nodded and smiled. "Yes, we were all actually surprised about Charles marrying so late. The president complimented me on my peony arrangement on that one." She paused in her reverie to take in Sam's shocked face, before adding. "Well, it was a good chance to get in touch with my feminine side."

Not that she ever really had known she had one. Brian had always teased her that he had a stronger feminine side than she had, and it had been true at the time. Finishing off her cup of tea, she paused and smiled at Sam.

"After this next month I'm on vacation for three." Sam nodded. "I should be able to make it as a Bridesmaid if it's within that time frame."

Sam wrinkled her nose and looked ashamedly back at her long empty coffee cup. "We haven't actually set a date, or a location, or really an anything yet."

"Oh, well I could talk to your planner." Sam winced. "You don't have one?" Sam shook her head. Well, that was a bit of a different story. Planning a wedding in three months would be interesting, Sam couldn't possibly afford even a fraction of her salary, but she was practically family. She reasoned with herself a bit more before realizing it would probably get her out of choosing a gift. Before she could open her mouth, Sam had started to speak.

"Could you possibly do it? I have no idea what to do and you know me better than anyone."

Well, she had known her better than anyone. Ten years could work wonders on people; fifteen could make them complete strangers. Yet here they sat as if time itself had waited for their reunion. Plus she hated picking out gifts.

"Well," she began slowly. "I'll need to meet your fiancée and anyone else involved in the wedding party."

"Is that a yes?"

She teetered on the brink of a decision before giving in. "Yes, it's a yes."

The girly squealing began again and she couldn't help but join it. There really wasn't anyone else she giggled with anymore and it was fun to indulge in the past time. A phone call from Sam's apparent boss interrupted any chance of lunch, and so she returned to her apartment and plopped.


	2. Chapter 2

_disclaimer at the beginning. me no own. me no money. me like tea. _  
_Thanks so much for the reviews _

A very full month later, she emerged at the baggage claim to see Sam standing next to three men. Curious, she moved behind a pillar to observe their interaction. The taller black man, clearly a body builder of some type, stood at near attention. No, she checked him off; he was a very attractive looking man, but clearly not Sam's type. She paused for a moment realizing that she might not know her type, before shaking off doubts and continuing. The next man was a much shorter geeky looking brunette who was looking at the oncoming crowd, clearly trying to decipher which one she was. He was bored and was trying his best to put on a good face for Sam. The last was the best option, in her opinion, though she was a bit shocked by his appearance. He was military, probably air force, with gray hair and the attention span of a child. Must be thoroughly charming, she thought with a sigh, otherwise she was sure Sam would never go for him.

Eh, she snuck her head casually behind the pillar. Leaning against the thing she tried to compose herself once more. As many weddings as she had planned, each one had its own unique challenges. This one she was sure would be far more boring than her typical wedding and she had brought more than ample reading material and doohickeys to entertain her.

She straightened out her suit and calmed her hair before taking a curt step in their direction. The geek's eyebrows rose and he motioned to Sam that she was approaching. The odd set of four turned in her direction and each offered some form of non-verbal greeting.

"How was your flight?"

"Long." Very long actually, she had been in the Orient. Sam smiled and motioned to the geeky man.

"This is Doctor Daniel Jackson."

He offered a shaky hand while the other remained firmly in his pocket.

"Hi, nice to meet you."

She smiled. "Lovely to meet you as well."

He relaxed a little and offered a smile.

"This is Murray."

Like hell he is. She offered the same smile and greeting before turning to the man who truly needed her attention.

"And this is General Jack O'Neill."

Her head practically flung back to Sam in surprise. She didn't think Sam had it in her to openly marry a general. What would her father think? Before Sam could respond the general had taken her hand and shaken it.

"Hi, nice to meet ya." He paused. "Didn't catch your name."

"Katarina De Geer." His eyebrows rose and he turned back to Sam. "It's my husband's name."

His mouth formed a small "oh" as she explained how she was related to all the more famous Mitchells in America. Ah, the life of a high profile family. After a bit of an uncomfortable silence, Sam suggested getting her luggage. She smiled and informed them it had been shipped. No use in trying to bring everything for these months over with the weight restrictions. So awkwardly they made their way out to a rented van and made their way to her rented house. The three men left the two of them at the house and drove off.

"You rented a house?"

"Mmmhmm." She turned the key in the lock and let Sam in. "I hate hotels, they drive me crazy."

The entire house was already filed with her furniture, rugs and paintings. Sam looked around the place as she went to go make some tea. Plopping her shoes off and letting down her hair, she boiled the water and let the tea steep. Glancing in the living room, she saw Sam sitting comfortably and took the opportunity to make a break for the bedroom. Quickly she shut the door and rid herself of the terrible clothes. Walking into the back of the closet she opened a covered bag and slipped on the familiar apparel.

Carefully she made her way back into the kitchen undetected and poured two cups of tea. Looking up from the album, Sam smiled at her friend's more familiar appearance. Taking the glass of tea she smiled and looked at the rolled over sweats, half hidden "semper fi" tattoo and black tank top.

"That looks more like it."

She smiled and looked over at the album. Brian's eyes looked back at her through the pages of photographs.

They had been good times, the best times.

"We were married for two years. Two very good years. " Sam smiled at the photographs. "You would have liked him, he was a great man."

"Do you mind me asking what happened?"

She shifted slightly, recalling the day that had forever changed the course of her life.

"We were ambushed. He took a bullet to the head. They operated. He was in coma for three months and then he went one night." She let out a sigh and glanced over at her concerned friend. "I sent in my papers within the week, by the funeral I was out of the marines. They handed me my flag," she gestured to it resting above the mantle "and I took my freedom."

Sam flipped to the last page of the album, before closing it and placing it back on the table.

"But, tell me about your fiancé! I was terribly shocked when I met him."

Sam jerked up in confusion.

"Met him?"

"Yes, the dashing tall gray hair thing you were flirting with."

"Was not!"

"Were too!"

"Katie, that is _General_ O'Neill, my commanding officer."

"Your _commanding _officer?" A slight bit of teasing found its way into her voice.

"Yes!" Sam insisted.

"Oh Lord." She sank back into her couch. "How truly awful." She paused, realization setting in. "Then who on earth are you marrying?"

Sam began to squirm again. "His name is Pete Shanahan. He's a cop."

"A copper? You're marrying a copper?" She let out a disgusted noise. "How the hell am I supposed to put together anything decent on an officer and a copper's salary?" The annoyed noises continued. "Oh well." She grumbled on thoroughly disappointed. "I suppose I could call in a few favours." She settled back into the couch so she had a better angle. "So when am I meeting this Pete character?"

"Tonight. We're going out to dinner at O'Malley's."

"Nice." She picked up the teacups and adjusted her sweats so that the whole of the tattoo would not show. "Didn't think to check if I was busy?"

Sam laughed. Okay, well so she knew no one up here. Didn't mean she didn't have plans. She set the cups down in the sink. Damn, it did mean she had no plans. Oh well.

Sitting down at the restaurant, she carefully eyed the blonde man now sitting across from her. He was nervous, as he should be. He looked around for anything pleasant to say. Sam had gone off to the powder room, giving her the perfect chance to dig up all the dirt she needed on boy wonder. He cleared his throat and opened his mouth, just in time for her to cut him off.

"Listen; don't make this too hard on yourself." He looked confused. "I've known her far longer than you or probably anyone has. No one is going to be good enough for her in my eyes, so you can just stop trying."

"Eh.. umm.." escaped his lips as he processed her words. He was slow too, excellent. She would definitely be running the show. Taking a small sip of her champagne, she looked around the small area. Sam emerged with much better looking hair and was positively beaming in Pete's general direction. Oh great, they were sappy as well, the night was getting even better. He cheered up in an instant, who wouldn't, and gave her a small peck on the cheek.

The rest of the night was basically cooing and smiling and oozing. They wanted something small with their family and friends. The arrangement she found most interesting was their Bridal party. She would be the only Bridesmaid chosen by Sam; the rest would be Pete's three sisters. The Groomsmen were the three men she had seen at the airport and Pete's partner from Denver. She stifled a small groan as Sam gave the man a goodbye kiss. Perhaps all this wedding nonsense had made her cynical. She sank back into the driver's seat and looked up at the starry sky. Nah, she had always been this way. Sam sat back into the rented car's seat and looked over radiantly at her.

"So what do you think?"

She opened her mouth, but was cut off by Sam's hand.

"Wait, I don't want to know what you think."

She turned the keys in the ignition. "Ah, how quickly the memories return."

Sam looked unsettled and watched her intently. "You really don't like him?"

"I really don't like him." Okay, that was a bit harsh, even for her. "Sam, darling, he's fine. He's very simple and sweet and average."

Sam rolled her eyes. "What's wrong with that?"

She tapped the steering wheel a bit, trying to think up a better answer than "everything". "Nothing I suppose. It's just here you are.."

Sam abruptly cut her off and continued the well used speech "a woman with it all, who understands more than most people could ever dream of and you're settling."

"Yeah, I might have been planning on saying something resembling that."

Sam sulked.

"You are settling." She accused. With once glance she could tell, Sam had had enough.

"Yes! So what if I am? He's nice. He makes me feel normal. What if I like that? What if I don't want to be special and smart all the time?"

She could relate. Having had most of her childhood documented in newspapers had caused an increased desire for normalcy within her as well. Not that she went with the desire, she rebelled instead. Joining the marines as the only daughter and only child prodigy of a prominent businessman, and it went over so well too. She had heard the potential speech more times than she could count, but she liked her life thank you very much.

"Men that understand us don't exist anyways."

That hit a nerve. "They do, they just take a lot of time to find."

The rest of the car ride was spent in silence as Sam reconsidered her last choice of words, especially knowing that Katie had been happily married once. Perhaps she was settling.


	3. Chapter 3

_Same as before. I don't own Stargate, if I did I'd either be rich or be in debt due to medical insurance for Dan Shea...  
Thanks again for the kind reviews _

The next morning was spent in the grand tradition that she had created for herself. She had a bath, read the latest Scientific Examiner, marking the mistakes in it with her highlighter, and then ran five miles in a desperate attempt to stay in shape. Making her way around the neighborhood she stopped as she saw the gray haired man sitting on a roof with a telescope. Perfect.

"Hello!"

He looked down at her confused and gave her a half-wave. Friendly little bugger. Noticing that she was not going away, he worked his way down the steps. Realization dawned; she could almost read his mind. Oh, he was thinking, you're that strange lady the cute blonde introduced me to at the airport. Yes, she thought as she smiled back, and I'm going to get to know you better to see what your part in this game is.

"Katarina, right?"

"Yes, fancy seeing you in this neighborhood General."

"Jack."

"Fancy seeing you in this neighborhood General Jack."

For some reason it amused him and he smiled.

"Well I do live here."

How incredibly witty. She stopped herself short of rolling her eyes.

"Sam tells me you are her commanding officer."

"That would be correct." He shifted uncomfortably, not knowing where she was going. Come to think of it, she didn't know where she was going either. Oh, right, interrogation.

"Deep Space Radar Telemetry."

"Yup." He responded dryly, in a tone that clearly indicated he had no intention of elaborating.

"It looks right up your alley."

Confusion struck him again.

"Your telescope?" She motioned to his previous location.

"Oh.. right." He nodded. "Sure do love that.. deep.. space radar stuff."

Sure, you do. She eyed him again when he wasn't looking, hoping to find something that would clue her into Sam's obvious attraction to the man. Nope, she was stumped.

"So Carter tells me you two are old friends."

"We are. Very old, very friendly."

He nodded. He was a wonderful conversationalist too. How ideal. Her friend apparently continued to like very strange men. She was sure this painful situation, supposedly called a conversation was sure to continue onward and downward, but a brunette woman emerged from the house saving her from the fate worse than death.

"Oh, you have a lady friend here."

She smiled looking at the woman's obvious apparel, a man's shirt in his size and a pair of sweats. The woman was obviously embarrassed at her appearance and turned to the gray man for support. He was fresh out it seemed and instead decided to introduce them.

"Kerry, this is Katarina. Katarina, Kerry."

Katarina gladly extended her hand to soothe the poor frightened thing. Perhaps she was a complication she hadn't thought up.

"Nice to meet you Kerry. I'm terribly sorry to have interrupted your rendezvous."

They both attempted shamefully to contradict her, but she gave them no chance, choosing to jog off at the opportune moment.

Sinking back in for her second bath of the day, she pondered her options. As far as she could see there were only two, a man she thoroughly despised and a completely unavailable man who annoyed her more than anyone she had every met. Decisions, decisions. Ah, but was there really any conflict? She had always loved a good challenge and it might take the edge off of an otherwise boring three months.

Looking at a list of the local venues, she found herself practically whimpering. A publicly owned hall, an old church reception area, and a crusty mansion- none of these options sounded like the two people she had talked to. They needed someplace where they could relax and have fun. The list of possible guests was well under a hundred. Hmm, she picked up the business card of the restaurant they had just been to. The mood seemed right. It had pool tables and a bar and decent food. She'd certainly have to buy out the place for the night.

Still in a griping mood, she picked up her cell and dialed a familiar number.

"Phillip? Hello, darling."

The usual pleasantries commenced. His business was doing well and he still thought that he had a chance to date her. Some men just never learned. In the middle of describing his latest triumph in exasperating detail she had had enough.

"Sorry, darling, but I have a bit of a crisis here. You see my dearest friend is getting married and I must have the best cake available for her."

Of course he would make it; of course she would get the reduced rate. He scoffed at the size of the party, but promised to same day air some of his finest confections. After a bit more smoozing, he added a bonus, a miniature version of her favourite cake as a gift. Feeling thoroughly satisfied she hung up her phone, just in time to hear someone knocking on her door. Slipping on a robe, she hurried down and opened the door.

The gray haired man was now standing nervously in front of her. She wondered what the cause of it was, the robe or his guilt. Figuring it to be a combination of the two, she offered him a confused look.

"Hi."

Wow, a full word. "Hello." She tightened the slipping robe. "What can I do for you General?"

"Umm.." He shifted in his place, seemingly unaware of what he was doing there. "Are you seeing Carter today?"

She nodded, taking a bit too much pleasure in this newest revelation. So the lady friend must have been a secret and now he was going to try to convince her not to tell. Good luck.

"Would you like me to tell her anything for you?" She hinted, not so gently.

"No, no." He muttered another nope under his breath.

"Would you like me to not tell her anything for you?"

His face flew up to meet hers. Yes, that's right you silly man, she thought, I've known you for less than two days and I already know. Still it felt bad to bare souls on the porch.

"Would you care to come in?"

He followed her in and looked around at the already full house.

"You move in fast."

She put the kettle on and turned back to look at him. He was already inching his way into the living room. Brushing past him, she picked up her precious memory book and motioned for him to sit. He sat, and she made her exit to get into some truly uncomfortable clothes.

Coming out again, she soothed the creamy fabric and took out two teacups. She paused, glancing out at the man in the room, and put them away. He was not a tea man. Opening the fridge she took out two beers and hoped her assessment was correct. He was sitting uncomfortably on the couch, staring out at the drably cream décor.

"Your husband isn't here?"

She smiled softly, opening the beers and handing him one.

"I should hope not, he's been dead for nearly eight years."

"Oh." His eyes offered her a sincere apology. Sitting across from him, she took a sip of the terrible concoction. So this is what she saw in him. Hmm. Good combination, rare combination. Little boy combined with full-grown man. How interesting. "Sorry."

"Yes, everyone seems to be when they find out."

He nodded, fully fixated on his beer. This was a delicate situation. Technically at this point she should not have his trust, yet he was indebted to her for keeping his little secret. Mmm..

"Jack," she tested the name on her tongue, before deciding she liked it. "You should know I deeply care for Sam." She paused, trying to piece together her strategy "If you have any information that would incline me to believe that she should not marry Pete, I would be truly grateful to you for disclosing it."

He chuckled and put down the beer, looking directly at her.

"Do you always talk like that?"

"Like what?" She tried hard not to take offense.

"The wording. Your syntax is interesting."

This time she did not even try to not roll her eyes. "Is this always the way you try to change the subject?"

He sat up at the accusation. "I'm not trying to change the subject. You're the one that insists on talking in a strange way, I'm just trying to figure out if it is a cultural thing or a society thing."

"Eh.. umm.." She sank back into her chair. She'd never really considered it. Everyone she met at parties spoke in a similar matter. Brian, of course, had always teased her about it. But still that did not mean that he could just get out of a difficult question by arousing her anger. "Both, I suppose."

"Not raised in good old US of A?"

She smiled ruefully. "No."

"Scandinavia mostly?"

"Mostly."

So there was that charming personality she had been looking for. That and he was oddly brilliant. Still he was avoiding her question and being a smart-ass while doing so. A moment of comfortable silence ensued and she almost forgot how annoyed she was with him.

"Jack, if you won't allow me to be wordy, let me be plain." She paused and he gave a slightly defeated nod. "I know that you care for Sam enough to come here and ask a complete strange to not inform her of a secret relationship you are having with a leggy brunette." He nodded again in a self-effacing way. "That really leaves me with little to think. Really I only see two options. Either you love her and know she's in love with you, or you're both in love."

He shifted uncomfortably and then picked up the neglected beer. Here she found herself having a strange reaction, pity. She pitied him and she had no idea which option it was.

"Listen, you are obviously observant. You've been in the marines from what Carter has told me. You know about the chain of command."

She scoffed, disgusted.

"You better be doing some pretty world saving shit in that mountain to make you think it is more important than being with her."

"It is." He said it simply and she fell back against her chair in defeat. Stupid, self-assured man. He obviously didn't understand how rare it was to find someone to love. Most men didn't though.

"So you are perfectly happy to have her run off and marry some man while you shack up with another woman to drown out your sorrows?"

She sat perfectly still after the outburst, realizing that she had gone way too far. She didn't know him, and he certainly didn't deserve that. He finished off the beer and set the empty bottle back on the table. Neither knew what to say.

"I want her to be happy."

She still didn't dare move as he spoke. He stood and began his way to the door. She slowly pried herself from the chair and followed him.

"I know you do."

He smiled slightly and went through the door she opened for him. She walked in a daze back into the living room and downed the beer.

Later in the evening, Sam came to check on the progress. Still feeling like a traitor, she showed her the results of her search. Sam was surprised at her choice of the restaurant, but quickly mentioned that it was a favourite hangout of hers and the guys. The agreement seemed to be made as Sam phoned Pete for the all clear and then had a phone meeting to discuss the date.

Throughout their entire conversation, she sat slicing the vegetables for the wraps, guilt settling in with each slice. She shouldn't have told him she wouldn't tell, shouldn't have even implied it. The conversation had turned to goopy talk as she took the tortillas out and rolled the food together. Placing a garnish on top, she smiled and moved the plates to the set table.

Sam hung up and smiled. "Looks delicious."

She nodded, still feeling like scum and tried to think of something to talk about.

"The cake samples are going to be in on Wednesday." Sam nodded and then reconsidered.

"Oh, I probably won't be able to make it."

She arched a keen eyebrow at her friend.

"They really should be tasted fresh."

Sam nodded. "Oh, I know. Pete will do great picking one out I'm sure."

The eyebrow remained firmly arched. "And you are going to sleep inside the mountain?"

A dopey smile overtook Sam's face. "Yup, I will be inside the mountain."

"Bull." This time she said it out loud. Sam's fork dropped.

"Oh common, you know I can't tell you."

She hated to be in the dark about important things.

"And Pete is perfectly all right with all of this?"

Sam winced in a distinct manner that told her he already knew. She dropped her fork in a dramatic fashion, before exclaiming, "A cop from Denver knows top secret information?"

"It was an accident."

She took another large bite. "Pretty darn clever accident if you ask me."

The rest of the meal was spent in relative silence, a theme she was beginning to hate. Yes, she was definitely going to be bored. Sam left after informing her the date was with in a mere two months and mentioning that Pete's entire family was dying to meet her. She could think of nothing more wonderful.


	4. Chapter 4

_disclaimer at the beginning. If I owned Stargate two characters appearing in this fic would not exist, you guess who.  
I really appreciate all the great reviews.  
Some notes: ichagrl__ - for age reasons and personality reasons Katarina/Daniel bonding is as far as it will go. I try to keep an objective view of Pete. I work with what they give me.  
Gateseeker2- look no further. Katarina doesn't like Pete, here you go. _

The next few mornings she avoided the General's house in her runs, and took to mastering the idea of being polite to Pete. She'd run into the Kerry woman at a coffee shop, proving what a tragically sad small town she was in, and had even smiled at her. Which was ridiculous because she was quite sure she hated her more than anyone.

The shipment came early with an enormous bouquet of exotic flowers. At least Phillip was still happy with her, though it was possible she could do anything and his affections wouldn't wane. Picking up the phone she dialed Pete's number and informed him it was cake-testing time.

Three hours later, none of the samples remained. Pete sat with a bellyache in her dinning room, hunched over the little gold leafed doilies. She was glad she had hidden her little cake from him. In all her years of planning she'd never seen a man single handedly eat thirty-five samples of cake and still not have an opinion. She tapped him lightly to not startle him and sat down next to him.

"Well, what do you think?"

He made some kind of noise, placing his hands on his belly.

"That was, without a doubt, the best cake I have ever eaten."

She nodded. Well, that was why she had chosen Phillip as her official baker.

"I mean, I had no idea that cake could ever taste that…" he fumbled for words. "Good."

Eloquence, indeed. She smiled and hoped for him to continue.

"I have no idea. No idea." He motioned to the empty doilies. "It was all good. All of it."

She nodded and looked back out at the mess on her table.

"I think Sam would like all of it too."

She continued nodding and started to carefully pick up the doilies with the crumbs in them.

"I mean you must be like the best planner ever to know these cake people."

Okay, so he was cute. She laughed at the attempted flattery and continued to pick up doilies. After she had disposed of them, she noticed he had followed her into the kitchen.

"Listen, I know you don't like me and I'm beginning to be okay with that. But I really, really love Sam and I will do everything I can to make her happy."

If he was hoping to get credit off of that profession, he was going to be disappointed. Poor thing probably had no idea the scores and scores of men that had said the said thing about Sam when they were dating her. Still she had to give him credit that she had accepted his proposal. It either meant that she was desperate or she was in love, or on the off chance both.

She could tell he was disappointed by her reaction, but then they all were. It was probably the reason that she and Jacob got along so well. She had the opportunity of prescreening all of young Sam's candidates before he had to even bother with the General-father crap routine he did so well. Speaking of the dear General, she wondered what he thought of Sam's latest admirer. They were usually of one mind, and it suddenly struck her as odd that she hadn't heard a word about him. Pete, however, had no idea she was in a deep state of thinking and was still stuck on wining her over.

"I think you'll really like me once you get to know me."

Oh did he now. It usually went the opposite way, the disapproval and disgust grew.

"Let's have a little chat then." She pushed out a chair from him, and poured a fresh cup of tea from the kettle. Before she sat, she circled the caged animal and pondered her approach. Direct usual worked best and had the more spectacular reaction.

"Here's what I know thus far. You're in your late thirties. You're a cop with two partners who left you do to personality conflicts, and with a wife who left you because of the overwhelmingly descriptive 'irreconcilable differences.' Your chief thinks you make an excellent detective, but that you need some reigning in. He also says you tend to bend rules, and that you have a problem with authority. I see you as an adorable puppy of a man, you drool and fawn over Sam as if she was an angel. Not that I disagree with your exquisite tastes, just that that kind of interaction in frowned upon in certain circles. You must also have a problem with trust since you ran a background check on her, which I might add is highly illegal."

She paused, taking in all the intricate and fascinating expressions interwoven on his face. She had him now. Taking a sip of the calming brew, she waited for the sure to be brilliant response.

"You.. did a background check on me?"

She placed the teacup firmly down.

"I did no such thing. I merely mentioned to your captain that a young friend of mine was dating you and asked if there were any particulars I should know. The sweet man just went on and on for an hour."

This annoyed him.

"First my captain is one of the oldest, most anal men I know, and I know some. You might have your facts straight but facts often distort a person." He paused, a brilliant idea forming in his head. "I mean if someone made that kind of list about you, you would be mad too."

"I am slightly offended, but when you grow up with the media watching your every move it becomes somewhat natural." His eyebrows furrowed. "You probably missed most of my childhood in the papers, since I am a slight bit older than you."

He continued to be perplexed, until the epiphany struck him. "You're Katarina Mitchell?"

Oh dear that took him a long time, someone of her generation should do better. "Yes."

"Oh wow." He squirmed with boyish admiration. Oh brother, she rolled her eyes, noting that she had been doing that a lot lately. Must be a side effect of his presence. He caught a whiff of her expression and sighed.

"Okay, so you don't like me and aren't going to like me." He shrugged. "I guess I can't do anything about that." Finally he was being unique and clever. She really wanted to like the idiot too, for Sam's sake. "But here's the facts you don't have." He took in a deep breath. "For one, I know that running that check was a bad idea and I regret it. Now that you are here and know, it gives me a good excuse to tell her and to hope that she will forgive me. Sam and I also want to have a family. It's late in the game for both of us, but with our careers the way they are it's hard to find people that understand the late shifts and don't jump to seedy conclusions without proof."

The implication here, she supposed, was that his last wife was not so understanding and had assumed he was having an affair. He checked to make sure he still had her full attention before continuing. "And you're right in thinking that I drool over her, and in thinking that she deserves better than me. But in the important areas of life, we see eye to eye and I hope you can respect that."

She could, just whether or not she would act on that respect was the issue. Jacob, she was sure, hadn't met him. If he had she was absolutely positive the General would have disposed of the whimpering man. Apparently he wasn't around and this entire mess was up to her. If only she could figure out a way to get out of it. She nodded, finishing off her tea, not to show that she agreed with him but to acknowledge that she had heard him. If he misunderstood, it was his shortcoming.

"Well, I should get going." He stood, seeming a bit too pleased with himself for her taste, and looked in the direction of the door. All thoughts of choosing a cake seemed to have disappeared from his smarmy countenance. Great, she was on her own, again. He nodded in a self-satisfied way and let himself out.

Taking out her small cake, she took a gigantic bite and sighed. She was so going to regret eating this on her morning run, but her taste buds required her to finish off the confection. Well, she smiled, throwing the last doily away, that was the kind of cake they were getting.


	5. Chapter 5

_disclaimer as before. Stargate is not mine. If it was I would own a __Gore-tex raincoat.  
Thanks so much for the reviews!  
I've been told this part is sad, so here's your warning._

It was now a mere month and a half to the wedding. She had done almost everything on her own, and she was still waiting for Sam to return her calls on the invitations. She had called a week ago, the day of the cake tasting fiasco, and was getting edgier by the day. Pete's overly helpful message that all the invitations were gorgeous did nothing to sooth her nerves. It was a Sunday, so she hoped that the general would be able to give her some information, however vague, as to Sam's possible return.

Walking as quickly as she could in the long hobble skirt, she readjusted the collar to her suit and pranced up the steps to his abode. Tapping lightly, she looked into the window to try and spot him. He opened the door half-dressed, with his hair sticking up in every direction possible. He rubbed one eye, as he stretched his frame against the side of the door.

"What can I do you for you?"

What could he do for her? She had no idea. He looked down at his lack of apparel and sighed, motioning for her to come in. He quickly disappeared behind a wall, still speaking.

"Well, we both seem that have that quick, keen sense of timing. I suppose you're here about Carter. Good timing. I was about to head back to base."

He reemerged in uniform, dress downs, but still a uniform. He opened the fridge, but thought the better of it and closed the slightly smelly device.

"General. I don't know what you are doing down there, but I am deeply concerned for Sam's well being."

He slowly nodded, seeming to translate and comprehend simultaneously.

"Well, Carter's fine."

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and looked back to him for clarification.

"If she's fine, why has she been out of contact for over six days?"

That flustered him, and he searched his vast wealth of BS resources for an answer. Looking down at her, he must have figured she wouldn't go for any of it, because he shrugged in response and quickly looked for something to busy himself with. She followed him, not about to be ignored.

"Is she in the mountain?"

Figuring that it was harmless to answer, he nodded. She paused and began to pace in his small kitchen, wondering what on earth could keep Sam inside the mountain. Either the earth was going to blow up, she figured, or a member of her family needed her help. If the world was going to blow up, she was sure that the general would not be here lounging in his sweats. The only logical conclusion she could come up with was that the missing Jacob was the reason for her disappearance. She gasped at the possibility, hoping that one of her oldest and dearest allies was still well.

"General, could you grant me access to see her?"

"Excuse me?"

Telling him that she needed to see her due to wedding issues, seemed ridiculous. He seemed fair enough with keeping secrets, and if he was in charge of the mountain it wouldn't be a breach of security for her to let him in. Well, not completely, but at least give him a good excuse. Flinging out her cell phone, she dialed a number while the confused man looked on. Repeating her code, the phone line connected and a familiar voice greeted her.

"Charles, how are you doing?" He greeted her and told her about his usual business busyness and the charming time had had with his wife in the Bahamas. She missed him, a lot and smiled as he recalled a particular incident where he fell into a pool at the resort. Acknowledging the confused General with a small hand gesture, she knew she had to get down to business.

"Listen, Charles, I would love to chat forever, but I can't. Sadly, this is not a social call." He laughed, stating that if it was he hoped she would use a less secure line. "Standing right in front of me is a General Jack O'Neill, and I need to be granted clearance to his base. Could you talk to him for me?"

Charles was unhappy with the announcement, but after some prodding he agreed. A few strokes on the keyboard later, he laughed again, saying that she already had clearance. Cheyenne Mountain was apparently in her line of work. Nice. Then she and Sam could actually have a decent talk about their real jobs. That is if Sam had the clearance to know what she was doing. Hanging up, after wishing him her best, she turned to the man in front of her.

"Could you give me a ride?"

The confusion quickly passed as she pulled out a security clearance card that looked much like his own. He nodded, and the both walked to the garage.

"So, not a private citizen?"

There was a good bit of a leer in his tone. She scoffed and straightened the fickle material. Yeah, right. Oh crap, he would probably tell Sam and in the middle of planning a wedding, the last thing she needed was accusation.

"General," she began tentatively. "I would prefer it if we kept my clearance between the two of us."

He smiled wryly. Of course she would, just like he would like his little secret kept. They pulled into the base in relative silence, each taking out their card to show the armed guards. Once in the elevator, they both fidgeted and glanced around at the small space.

"You must be incredibly uncomfortable."

No kidding. She could barely move or breathe. She eyed his BDUs and grumbled internally, wishing she had a pair to don.

"I could get you a change of clothes.."

Yeah and give away her position and have Sam ask a million questions, right. That was so not going to happen, as much as she wished it would. She shook her head curtly and avoided her instinct to slap him when he chuckled. As the elevator doors opened, his grin disappeared and was replaced with a harsher more militaristic tone.

"I've cleared the area, but you are still confined to this floor. If you need to be escorted to the top, one of the officers would be glad to join you."

"I'm sure they would." She muttered, happy he was putting on a show for her, and annoyed that he was acting superior. She liked the casual version better, and she was sure Sam would agree. He opened the door to the infirmary and motioned for her to enter.

Hunched over a bed was Sam, collapsed from exhaustion and with tears still in her eyes. Just as she had expected, in the bed was none other than her dear Jacob. Seeing the strong man hooked up to all the wires and machines nearly brought tears to her eyes. His eyes twitched as he opened them, blinking at first to check to see if she was a vision.

"Kate?"

She lowered herself into a chair opposite Sam, and took his free hand.

"Hello Jacob."

He smiled and rubbed her hand, clearly the only physical exertion he was capable of. The tears were now threatening to ruin her mascara, so she took in a sharp breath to fend off the onslaught. He eyed her dress and smiled.

"Still pretending to be normal?"

"One can always try."

His eyes sifted through a thousand happy memories, before his face became shadowed again.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see you, silly." She smiled, knowing full well that was not what he had meant.

"Just here to see me?"

She nodded, trying to convince him as best she could. He let her off and believed her for a change.

"Sam tells me she's getting married."

She nodded again, still sniffing and trying to contain her emotions.

"Tell me about him." He asked as she fell deeper back into despair, realizing that she would have to be his eyes and ears now.

"Well, you'd hate him." She finally let out. He chuckled at the old familiar line, his eyes sparkling for her to continue. "He's fat and blonde and acts like a baby." The tears were now winning their mutiny and she struggled even more to keep their numbers minimal. He held her hand closer, coaxing her to go on. "Oh," She choked on another tear, "but he loves her so very much. More than any other I've seen."

He smiled, seeming content with that answer, and shifted his view back to the ceiling. She regained some composure with his eyes now out of view, and looked over to see him peacefully resting. Not able to take it any more she softly pried her hand away and fled to the hall. Sure it was empty, she collapsed against the wall in tears. Wishing for it all to just end. She had lost so many loved ones, her parents, her husband, her baby and now the only man who had always been there to care for her. It just wasn't fair. She needed to leave, but idiotically she had hitched a ride with the General. Sure that she could hotwire Sam's car, she fled for the safety of the elevator, sliding her card and brushing past the three men who were exiting.

Once within her own four walls, she sank into the floor in the foyer. Inertia allowed the door to click behind her and she sat on the cold wood surface, pondering the meaning of her life. She needed to run, run and get away from it all. Changing quickly from her ruined suit to a jogging suit, she didn't bother to lock the door as she took off into the cold February air. Unknown hours later, she returned and put on a kettle. Walking into the living room, she nearly screamed as Pete's familiar face looked at her anxiously. Of course, she had left the door open.

"I was hoping you would know." His voice came out choppy and full of concern. She made her way back into the kitchen, knowing he would follow and poured two cups. She didn't give a damn if he didn't like tea, he was going to drink it. Offering him a cup, he took it and continued to look at her for any hint.

"You've been out every time I've tried to see you and I don't have your cell number." He paused, taking in her overly distraught face. "It's Sam, isn't it." He took a sip. "I've tried to call her all week; she's normally only gone a few days."

She nodded, not really listening, hoping the tea would calm down her nerves. They were frazzled enough before he showed up. His wording became more distraught as he collapsed on the table in tears for some unknown reason. Oh Lord, what had she nodded to again?

"Pete," He didn't respond. She smacked him on the side of the face, enjoying it a bit too much. He jerked upward, fondling the side of his face that was now bright red. "Pete, Sam's fine. It's her father."

He looked relieved, which pissed her off to no end, before looking depressed again. "I've never met him"

She got up pouring herself another cup. "And it's a good thing too."

He laughed softly, acknowledging that if he was anything like her it was a good thing. It was an ironic time for laughter, but it fit somehow. A familiar looking SUV pulled up and a familiar set of three men emerged. Great, here come the last moment police. She finished off the last drop of her cup, before taking a defensive stance at the front door. It was like looking at a modern version of the three stooges. From the overly concerned expressions on their faces, she knew that these were the men she had passed in the elevator.

"So you can hotwire a car."

It was meant to break the tension and it worked. Surrounded by four men in sweat soaked apparel was not her idea of a good time, but it seemed she had no option. All three were let in and more tea was made. Suddenly, with Jacob's life in the balance she didn't care if her cover was blown. Wanting comfort more than security, she changed into her husband's old sweats and rolled them over at the waist. The man really had been far too tall. Not even bothering to fix her damp hair, she headed back into the kitchen and got out some more teacups.

All four men sat awkwardly in the living room, as she came out with the hot beverage. It became apparent to her that there was an aura of animosity between the three and the one. She smiled as she handed out the cups, noting the umpteenth time that men had squabbled over her friend. Sitting half perched on the arm of the couch, she took a sip as the men eyed her appearance.

Pete spoke first, anxious to hear about his darling's condition. "How's Sam doing?"

The general threw him a look, much like her own, a combination of what do you think and oh please. Pete took on a defensive position, clearly indicating that he was intent on getting an answer.

"Well, her father's dying. How do you think she's doing?"

The overly sarcastic comment came from the mouth of the geek, who was eyeing Pete with more than a little annoyance. Murray was the only one that was enjoying her tea. As he finished off the cup, he offered her a small head bow and she smiled. Well, she had won one over. Getting up to fill her cup again, she couldn't help but play on the tension.

"I can tell you boys get along splendidly. This is going to be the most exciting wedding party ever." She accentuated the ever as she walked into the kitchen.

Steeping more of the splendid beverage, she didn't even bother to turn to address the man who had followed her. "More tea?" He asked drolly. How observant, she thought. At least it gave her something to do. A warm tingle began to form on her lower back as she realized her tattoo must be getting eyed. She turned, crossed her hands over her chest and looked at him sternly. His eyes averted and he went back into commando mode.

"Carter sent us. They both want to see you."

She nodded, waiting for the rest of the information. When he didn't offer, she asked.

"The General normally comes to fetch her things?" She paused, allowing her words to take full effect. Unfortunately it didn't clear up her opinion as to which option it was. All this pondering was going on for far too long. He, so far, was just as good as she was at keeping a straight face. It was time to change the subject and stop staring at each other. "And what about boy wonder here?"

His eyebrows rose as he looked in the direction of Pete, the wonder boy. Who didn't have clearance. She hoped. She didn't want Jacob's last view of the world to be a dopey man who was planning on marrying his daughter. Well, this could be fun.

"He's not authorized to visit the base."

She nodded, grateful for that at least. The kettle was done and she poured herself another cup, allowing the steam to clear up her sinuses. Looking over at the watching man, she pulled out another cup and handed it to him.

"You could get to like it." She teased. He cautiously eyed the tea, before taking a small sip. They drank in silence, as some form of argument broke out between the geek and the boy wonder. Well, it hadn't been as boring as she had thought. They both set down their empty cups and turned to go break up the petty disagreement.


	6. Chapter 6

_disclaimer same as beginning. I don't own Stargate and it's a good thing too. I don't have the room to put it anywhere.  
Thanks so much for all the wonderful reviews!!  
Hi Matt! Thanks for reading! _

Sam collapsed on her in tears the moment she entered the room. It was an all too familiar scene to her, sitting on a bed holding her poor young friend over the loss of a parent. Time stood still, as she held the young teenager, soothing her hair and trying to keep her heart from breaking. She hadn't known what to say then, and she certainly didn't now. She was supposed to be the stronger of the two, Sam was the one with the softer heart. She felt cold as she methodically pulled her in tighter. She was ignoring her own feelings of loss, but it really wasn't the time for that now. This was Sam's time, hers would come later, and when she was alone.

"Katie, I just don't know what to do." She shushed her and looked up at the three men standing awkwardly above them. They were her newer friends, probably used to comforting her in these kinds of situations. She felt sorry for them, and hoped they understood. She pulled Sam back to gaze into her eyes and noticed the extreme sleep deprivation they showed.

"Sam, you need to get some sleep."

Sam shook her head furiously, but she would not be defied. Glancing up at the men, she hoped for their support.

"Sam, she's right. The doctors are getting worried about you."

She smiled at the geeky one in thanks, and looked back at Sam to wipe away some tears.

"You don't want your dad to see you like this." She paused, picking her chin up. "Hmm, do you?"

No, of course she didn't. Jacob valued strength and he wanted his daughter to be happy more than anything. Sam got up slowly and the three men followed her out the door, just to be sure. Slipping past the curtain, she looked down at Jacob. He offered her a smile as she sat.

"We meet again."

"Well, you know I am in the neighborhood lately."

She smiled and looked down to compose herself.

"How is this possible?" She asked carefully. "I though you were supposed to live for hundreds of years."

His head jerked up in response, before he offered her a devilish grin.

"You know about the Stargate?"

She rolled her eyes, and glanced down at him again. "Of course I know. I'm the outside operative and I'm assuming you're a good guy." She poked at him a bit after her last comment. After his continued looks of confusion she smiled and sighed. Ah, the life of a nosy general. She fumbled for words for a bit. Explaining the test program was a confusing endeavor. Heck, she didn't even understand half of what the scientists had told her and she was normally able to keep up with the best of them. All she knew was that the world felt differently, but that others like her shouldn't be able to detect her mutant, alas highly experimental, strain of the mineral.

"I suppose the best way to put it is to say that I am naquadah enhanced." His eyebrows rose at her choice of words. Well, that was cheesy. It was like the catch line of some hokey commercial. Now in the limited naquadah enhanced version or something. "I'm still getting used to it, and it doesn't work sometimes." Sometimes that had nearly cost her her life, but every job had its risks. "But it has its purposes." She was rambling idly now, and not answering his question. "I was recruited to clean up, so to speak. I make sure that foreign governments have not been infiltrated."

He laughed, delighted at the idea of her still being in the game.

"Good, you had me worried." He considered her choice of work. "Must travel a lot."

"Yes, a good bit." While playing catch up was amusing, there were more important matters to attend. "Jacob, let me in a bit. What's going on?"

He grumbled at the idea of a serious conversation, but finally relented. His eyes glazed over and a distinctive voice took over.

"I am dying."

"Oh, Hello. Who are you?"

"I am Selmak."

She paused, taking a break to think over just how she wanted this to play out.

"Nice to meet you. I'd introduce myself, but that would be redundant."

Jacob's face smiled, implying that Selmak found her as amusing as he did. The talk with Selmak gave her exactly the kind of information she didn't want. Jacob would die within three months, and there was not much that could be done about it. Selmak also had an agenda of things to do before death, and asked her to go fetch the General.

She paced in the hall outside the infirmary as the two men talked. She knew she could go in at any moment, but she was too busy processing all the vital pieces of the puzzle. The general opened the door and stood locking eye contact with her.

"Carter's.."

"Still resting. Thank God."

He nodded, and stood still for a moment before motioning to the clipboard of items Selmak had asked for. She understood, he was very busy and didn't have time to chat. Before he turned to leave, she set her hand on his arm to stop him.

"Sam is going to be needing her friends now, more than ever." His eyes wandered for a bit. "Please take a bit of time to go and see her." She didn't want him to get too caught up in Selmak's needs that he forgot Sam's. He made it all the way around the corner before turning back to address her.

"There are guest rooms down the hall, on your right. Feel free to get some rest."

She nodded and turned stubbornly to go back into the infirmary. Three hours and fourteen minutes later, Jacob was stiffing a laugh as she continued on her phone call.

"No, no. You don't seem to understand. There's no way that African Violets are twenty dollars a bunch. I don't care if they are laid with gold filigree. I was forty bunches at fifteen a pop. " There was a pause as he could hear an annoyed voice explaining to her that they were out of season. "That's what greenhouses are for." The other voice now became threatening. "Fine, fine. When I do the next Empress Ball, I will not recommend you." She hung up as the other voice broke into an apologetic panic.

Jacob burst into laughter as he eyed the infuriated look on her face, glancing over at him she too laughed. God she loved her job. Her phone sprung to life a few seconds later, revealing a much more negotiable rate and a smoozing florist. They both smiled as she finished the call, securing the damn violets at ten dollars.

"Well, at least I know Sammie will be in good hands."

His tone threw her out of the laughter and back into the present.

"I'm only six years older than her."

He nodded. "But you've always been strong."

Yes, that she had. He had a good point there. Picking up the scattered pieces of paper that lay over his bed, she looked down at him.

"Jacob." She picked up the last piece and put it back on top of the used notepad. "Do you think you'll be able to walk Sam down the aisle?"

Emotion gripped him as he considered the option. She knew it would use of most of his strength, but the importance of that moment could not be ignored. Then, more than ever, Sam would need her father.

"You don't even want her to marry him and you want me to give my blessing?"

He had a point. A very good point. She collapsed on the small side of the bed he wasn't occupying.

"You should sleep." She nodded, burying her face under the pillow. "Hey," he smacked her lightly. "Get your own bed. This one already has two people."

She yawned and meandered her way out, after giving him a peck on the cheek. Wandering down the halls, she realized she wasn't sleepy and instead decided to go down to see the thing that made her life so interesting. The elevator door opened and she stepped out onto the floor. Looking around a bit, and flashing a useful pass at some armed walkabouts, she made her way to a conference room with a view.

Her hands touched the glass as she peered out at the strange device. She could see why Sam loved working here, it was in the air. New discoveries, new adventures. She must be getting old, it all sounded a bit too tiring for her. Being in her forties was having an effect on her. She growled at the thought of age and decided that she needed some tea.

After getting lost twice, she made her way to the mess. Noticing the coffee machines she sighed, definitely were Sam's kind of people. Somewhere in a corner she found a hot water heater and some tea bags, she would have to settle. Glancing down at her notes, she cringed at her notation of the gowns and suits. Nothing had been chosen yet, and she was hoping Sam's favourite colour was still blue. If not she was screwed. Thankfully all the flowers had been ordered at an amazing discount. She would still have to chip in an untold amount, but it would look pretty. She jotted down the names of local photographers she could remember and made a note to look for a good videographer. In the middle of all her thinking she realized she was incredibly tired and laid her head to rest on the notepad.

Her neck was going to kill her. Damn it she should have gone for the guest quarters. Looking at her watch, she guessed that she had been asleep an hour. Unless she had slept the full twenty-four and no one had noticed. She stood up and cracked her neck, realizing that she felt far too rested for an hour's nap. Quickly, she made her way to the infirmary where Sam was now sitting with Jacob. Jacob who was sitting up and making animated gestures to amuse her. She smiled in the doorway and slowly made her way in, careful to not spoil the moment. Jacob caught site of her and gestured for to come back later. She nodded and let them be.

Well here was a good opportunity to get the men into some suits. Tracking down the three men was easy, talking them into the fittings was not. After a few calls with Pete and his cop buddy, they nailed down a date that was not nearly as soon as she would have liked. She hung up after making the arrangement and headed back to the infirmary, hoping that five hours later she would have a chance to see Jacob. He was alone and bored. Good, she would be wanted then. He motioned wildly for her to come over and entertain him.

"I have great news."

She nodded and waited not so patiently for his next words.

"I'm going to walk Sam down the aisle."

She smiled and waited for the explanation. It didn't come. He took a sip of his juice through the straw and waited for her to catch on.

"It will give you a chance to say goodbye to her and Mark and meet Pete."

He nodded, glad that she had understood.

"Does she know that you are doing it as a goodbye?"

The juice was finished and the straw began protesting at the air it was sucking up. He put the useless glass on the tray. He resettled himself and attempted to ignore her. That would be a no. That would also mean that this was a secret. One she really didn't want to keep. He changed the topic quickly and asked of her latest adventure, and the grim future seemed to vanish from view.


	7. Chapter 7

_disclaimer at beginning. Hmm.. Well this is the seventh chapter. By now it appears that Stargate really isn't mine.  
Warning- two swear words in this one.  
Thanks for all the reviews- the last two parts were sad to write as well.  
Notes: ichargrl- the naquadah in her blood is a highly experimental strain, that is a manipulation of the biochemical reaction, of the mineral (as hopefully stated). They wouldn't put her in the field if her enemies would know she was on to them. As you can tell it doesn't always work, she should have been able to tell about Sam. It does seem to work for her protection, however, as Jacob and Sam had no idea. There's a longer explanation, but on with the story.  
_

_Mira has told me that my African Violet joke was far too garden geeky. For those who don't know, there is an African Violet called Stargate. It's quite pretty and goes along with Katarina's warped sense of humour. _

Looking for suits had been put off for yet another week, as she spent her dual life above and below ground. Taking care of Sam and Jacob turned out to be an interesting challenge, a challenge with a twist. In the midst of a surprise mission, the geeky man had gone missing. So the anxiety that had been brewing and festering already was now at a boiling point. Instead of just two brooding people, she now had to contend with two more men who were just as overly wrought with concern as they searched the explored universe for their missing buddy.

More sleepless nights ensued, and then without any hint of an explanation, the geeky one returned. She thought he was annoying before, now he just wouldn't shut up. Apparently there was some kind of grand scheme, a betrayal, an ancient civilization with a weapon of doom, and a chance once again that the universe was going to blow up. Sounded like good fodder for a half decent fiction in her opinion. She was in the minority, however, as the other four, including Jacob, looked engrossed with his tale. Oh, that and the geek had somehow escaped death by going to a diner. The man was losing it by the minute.

It took them over six hours to regroup and discuss the implication of his fantastical tale. With all the things she had seen, she knew she should believe him, but his incessant comments and ramblings were preying on her nerves. Murray was addressed by a strange sounding name, which she mentally reminded herself to ask about at a later date. Standing in the doorframe she watched the team in action, reminiscing about her own days of team combat. She kept a careful eye on Sam's interaction with the general and took careful note of the odd appreciative looks the two would throw at each other every so often.

They worked well together. The general's talents seemed to lie in the strategic, obvious, and grammatical- all of which Sam lacked. Jacob, ever the commander, offered his approval and disapproval of each plan. The man not named Murray talked like a weathered soldier and the geek offered odd spiritual and compassionate notes where ever he felt they were needed to temper the battle readiness of the four. It was tempting for her to add her thoughts to the conversation, but she knew her intellect was based in this world's knowledge, while theirs was greatly expanded. After some sort of decision, the conversation turned personal and she turned to the hall.

Sam followed her out and looked around for something to say. Finally crossing her arms over her chest to ward off an invisible chill, Sam spoke.

"Thanks for staying."

"Not a problem." She glanced in the direction of the geeky man. "You actually believe his story?"

Sam nodded, acknowledging in her posture and facial expression the absurdity of the situation. They could both tell the guys were watching and listening in shamelessly to their little chat, which made it difficult to address what she really needed to talk to Sam about.

"If you are needed here on base, I understand. The wedding could certainly be put off for the fate of the universe."

Here she hoped she was giving Sam an easy out. A chance to think and carefully mull over her choice of Pete as a suitor and a chance for her to have a little heart to heart with Sam about love. The dreaded date was approaching faster than ever. There was obviously some kind of attraction between Sam and the general and with her connections she was sure she could find some way of keeping Sam in the midst of all this excitement. Not in a militaristic role, but life was full of compromises, and love she was sure, always ruled over all.

"No, no. I wouldn't want to do that to you. You already took all the time to send out the invitations."

Great, so now she was the scapegoat for the disaster of the century? Perfect.

"Really," And she meant it. Really. "Sam, it's not even close to being a problem. I can just drop everyone a line and…"

"You've already done so much." How incredibly ironic, her own hand against her own heart. Sam looked at her thankfully and she internalized her need to start screaming sense at her. "I'm not saying I won't be busy, but I really want the wedding to go on as scheduled."

She nodded, feeling defeated, and stood sulking as Sam walked off. She turned sharply to look at the men, who did their best to look innocently around. They needed more practice, not a single one fooled her. However, there would be another time, a better time, to remind them of the upcoming and pressing events on this planet. Like the approaching wedding and their lack of apparel for the event.

"Oh yeaah." Pete eyed a midnight blue suit in the window. The three men looked at her with pained expressions, as Pete and his friend went prancing through the store looking at every single truly ugly suit. He came back with a vintage 1970s monstrosity in powder blue. "What do you think? It's blue."

She bit her lip and went up to the front desk. The man greeted her and got the suits she had held for them.

They were classic in every sense and she was very proud that she had found them in such a small place. Pete eyed them and nodded in agreement.

"Very classy. Very Cary Grant. Sam will love em."

The two men dashed to the back, before being informed that they would be fitted two-by-two, as there were only two tailors available on hand. Already being in the right place and right time, the two men went on the stands first. That left the four of them sitting out in the main area, listening to them being scolded for moving and pricked by pins every so often.

The geeky one quickly began fidgeting and looking over at her. He looked like he was going to explode at any moment.

"So, how long have you known Sam?"

She paused from looking through her PDA files, and attempted to calculate a year amount. After realizing that it would give away her age, she decided to stick to years old.

"Since Sam turned seven."

This surprised the geeky man, and he leaned back in awe to calculate something or other.

"So you've been friends for almost thirty years then."

"Mmmhmm." She was a bit annoyed with him at the moment.

"Wow." He shifted to fully face her. "It's just odd, cause she's never mentioned you."

"Daniel.." The general looked at him with a clear "aww common" expression on his face.

"No, it's all right." Despite her words she still threw a thankful look at him. "Sam and I had a falling out before she ever met you, so it doesn't surprise me."

"A.. a falling out?" Geek man was more curious than she was, and that was saying something. At least she had some tact.

"Yes, she was engaged to be married." Daniel squirmed in excitement, awaiting the next part of the tale. "And I refused to be a bridesmaid." He seemed disappointed. "Well, don't look too wrecked. It was a horrible argument. She was in love. He was a psychopath. She always falls for these weak ass jerks."

The room had suddenly grown far too quiet; she looked up to see Pete standing at the far side of the room. He had heard everything she had said, and now she was sure she would never hear the end of it. He stood motionless, before rocking back on his heels and addressing her.

"Well, the suit fits just great. I take it you don't need us for anything more."

She shook her head. He nodded and took off with his buddy. Seeing their quick exit, not-Murray and Daniel got up wordlessly and headed in the back to be fitted.

"You certainly have a way with words."

"I don't need to be lectured, General."

He nodded and turned back to look where his friends had gone.

"Was his name Jonas?"

She looked up.

"Pardon?"

Hand gestures suddenly abounded. "The guy that she was engaged to."

She nodded, wondering how any of this had any relevance.

"Well, you were right." Oh, she was? "He was a weak assed psychopath."

He had met him? Interesting. She wondered what other lunatic fringe Sam had dated since then. The woman had talent for sniffing it out. She shifted uncomfortably, near ashamed to ask the next question.

"Did she marry him?"

He looked completely surprised that she didn't know. He half muttered a no, and looked over in the direction the muffled noises were coming from. She didn't? After all these years it shocked her that Sam had accepted her advice. Sam had been very young and terribly headstrong back then; consequently, many conversations revolved around the definitions of their friendship. It varied from day to day, some days she was being too maternal, some days she was hoarding advice. She was never able to win. In the end, she had only thought of herself as an older and very concerned sister. Nothing more. Pride had cost her almost fifteen years of seeing someone as dear to her as family.

She attempted to stifle the emotion. What was wrong with her lately? Crying, reminiscing. She was getting soft. She pulled in a deep breath, and looked blankly at her PDA. The general was watching her, trying to figure her out.

"She never told me."

The near tears turned to ironic laughter. In all her years, she'd never known Sam to take her advice. Now it seemed she had. Hopefully it had done some good. She shrugged off the outburst and turned back to her files.

"So you don't approve of Pete either?"

She eyed him carefully, wondering what was implied in the question. Bored of thinking it over internally, she asked.

"What are you getting at General?"

He didn't seem to know either. He shrugged and threw out a few half decent hand gestures, before concluding that he had drawn a blank. Then he started up again and shifted his posture.

"I guess, we've always just wondered why Carter never married."

Well that made no sense.

"And now I think I get it."

Well she as sure hell didn't.

"Between her father and you, any guy would have a challenge."

Fair enough. She'd seen enough of them cry to know she was cruel. The small smile that played on his lips amused and irritated her. Okay, so he just knew her and he'd figured it out. So what. It was more than obvious, he didn't have to think himself so clever.

At this point she was more than willing to play all her cards. There was less than a month until the dreaded day, so if he was going to make a move it would have to be now.

"And you think you can win us over?"

She said it with little seriousness in her voice. His brows furrowed as he thought up a good, or perhaps any, response. He had just opened his mouth when the two men came out and told him it was his turn to be poked and prodded. She watched him go, and turned to the two men ready to attack them for their perfect timing.


	8. Chapter 8

_disclaimer same as beginning. Stargate is owned by those with many loonies and toonies, and coincidently__ enough who are loonie and toonie.  
Thanks again for the reviews. I really appreciate them._

Prying Sam to come try on wedding gowns took all of her energy for the next week. Finally after convincing her that she had narrowed the pool down to two probable dresses, and had made arrangements for the men to come, Sam had agreed. How she wished she had a camera to record the three men squirming, surrounded by layers of tulle and taffeta.

She followed Sam into the depths of the store as the men waited up front. Sam was terribly nervous as she looked around at all the frothy gowns. This was one thing neither of them had ever done. Sam because she had never married and her because of the timing of her marriage. The saleslady brought out a long plain silk sheath and shut the curtains.

Sam's fingers glided over the luminous material and glanced over at the price tag. Sam gasped, but she quickly nudged her fingers away from the offending numbers and got to putting the thing on her. The dress fit as close to perfectly as anything off the rack could. Sam ran her fingers over the material again, and looked at herself wide eyed in the mirror. The strapless gown perfectly accentuated every curve she had. Even with the workweek on her hair and face, Sam looked like an angel. Sam twirled twice on the stand before looking back down at her.

"I can't possibly afford it."

"I know." She soothed the fabric down to the train, cleaning the line. The gown really was made for her. This was the way it was supposed to be, she thought as she smiled. "Why don't you go show the guys?"

Sam skipped off the platform and went back through the trenches. This was something she was looking forward to with great interest. While bringing the men along for moral support was Sam's idea, it also aided in her quest to figure out which option the general was. Seeing the woman you're in love with in a wedding gown tended to have a profound effect, even for the best poker face man on earth.

Pushing past some stray silk rosebuds, she got a better angle on Sam's approach. The better angle of course being the general's face. She hoped this would push him over the edge. Men pining without action was a severe annoyance. The moment of truth came. The three men rose, each with their own expression of appreciation. Daniel was flustered beyond words and began mumbling something about how stunning she looked. The man not named Murray practically beamed with pride as she twirled and asked his opinion. The general stood, thrust his hands into his pockets, and remarked warmly that she looked great.

Her heart practically stopped beating. That was probably the last reaction she had expected. After rapidly thinking it over, she stopped at an almost sure conclusion. There it was, within a moment she was certain that he was not in love with her. Loved her that was for sure. Cared deeply and maybe even at one time he was in love with her. But standing there in that shop, he could warmly wish her well into the arms of another man. So, for now it seemed she was wrong.

As she emerged from behind the gowns, Sam turned to express her admiration for the gown. Maybe she had had it all wrong. Maybe Sam really did need someone to simply love her as a woman. Pete could do that. He could give her a family, possibly even make her laugh. He could simplify her complicated world. Perhaps she hadn't given him enough credit. The guys turned and smiled at her, each offering their praise of her choice.

"It's the woman that makes the gown beautiful." She smiled at Sam. "This is my present for you, for your wedding." Sam's eyes widened, obviously considering the cost. "Every woman should have a gorgeous dress to be married in." She insisted.

She hoped Sam would understand and allow her to bestow the costly gift. The guys all sighed and smiled at the happy scene as Sam went in to back to talk to the seamstress. Daniel smiled and turned to look at her.

"That's got to be the most beautiful dress on earth."

She gave him a small nod, still thinking and processing everything that had just happened. The general nudged Daniel for some reason, prompting Daniel to speak again.

"Except for your dress."

"Don't worry about my dress's feelings. It never existed." Daniel's insatiable curiosity was peaked again.

"I thought you said you were married."

"I was." Ever so slight roll of her eyes and she continued. "My husband and I were in the service together and we were about to be shipped to separate locations. So he proposed. My wedding dress was his dress shirt and a makeshift skirt I threw together."

"Oh." Daniel again looked disappointed for some reason. She was about to let him have it when the general cut her off.

"And I'm sure you looked wonderful in it."

Her temper died down, a touch. Daniel came out of his reverie to agreeingly nod at the general's comment. Sam came out in her normal clothes again, with the bridal glow still fully intact. It was time to look at the Bridesmaid dresses she had chosen. The men said their farewells and three overly excited blondes came into view. Oh Lord. Pete had neglected to mention to her that he was the eldest. The oldest blonde looked to be in her mid twenties, the youngest was sixteen at most. Thankfully they had met Sam earlier, so much of the excitement was over the gowns and not the girl.

Pulling Sam aside for a moment, she showed her two colours for the gowns as the girls pranced around the tulle. An eggshell blue or a shade of porcelain lavender, and she hoped one would work. Sam pointed to the lavender after snickering lightly at the blue, and she was thankful that she had created a backup plan. After letting the lady at the front counter know their decision, she went into the back and pulled out a gown. It was strapless and undecorated, perfectly matching the bride's gown in texture and sheen. The other girls were less than thrilled with the plain choice, so she was sent into the back to try it on and convince them.

Walking into the back she slipped the gown on and zipped up the side. She felt exposed with her shoulders uncovered. The dotted freckles ruined the line on her collarbone and her brown curls looked like they needed an overhaul. Suddenly she didn't want to go back out to Sam and to the other girls. She felt ashamed in the pale gown, as if she didn't belong in it. She could almost feel Brian's fingertips on her neck, pulling her hair to the side as he usually did to bestow a kiss on the nape of her neck. The cold rush of reality returned as the mirror revealed her alone in a drab room. She needed to let him go and yet he haunted her at every step. Every time she looked at her pale blue eyes she wished she could see his deep brown eyes coming towards her. And she could almost see him, almost feel him. Shaking off the bits of memory, she started walking to the front, hearing the fabric swish with her every move.

The girls ohhed and ahhed, and all agreed she was quite beautiful in the gown. She didn't feel it at all, but she accepted their praise and turned to Sam in relief when they eagerly went to try on their own gowns. It was almost all over. With little left to plan, she didn't know what was next.


	9. Chapter 9

_disclaimer same as beginning. I still don't own Stargate, no matter how much I write.  
Lots of wonderful reviews for Chapter 8. Thanks so much. Looks like this thing is going to be 12 total, if pacing keeps up.  
Arg, one swear word.  
Notes: Sandy- The entire story is from Katarina's POV, therefore 98 percent (or more) of the female pronouns are Kate. I'm sorry it can be confusing, and have tried to make it clearer from now on. Thanks for reading it, I hope this is better. Cassie has disappeared from the show and is not in the cast list for Threads, so she is not included. Good idea though.  
Chopin Girl- No disagreement on the hunk assessment. He's a near decade younger than Katarina, and she tends to see people's personalities much more than their looks.  
_

Sitting on her porch, going over the last minute details she sank back into crisp morning air. Steam from the tea was creating an intoxicating pattern as it rose. Tonight was a big dinner with the two families and the bridal party. Jacob was planning on coming, and she was expected to keep up her end of the deal. There were far too many secrets being kept for her liking. Charles had called, informing her of her next assignment in some exotic local. She had shrugged it off, saying that she would get back to him. For now the warmth of an afghan and the steam rising from her tea was enough to keep her amused.

She should retire. She thought it and accepted it, even though she knew the consequences. Traveling the world to escape Brian's ghost had turned out to be a horrible idea. She liked it here, and hoped that she could settle down in this little house. She could even ring up her in-laws. No, no, she wasn't ready for that yet. But she could soon, in the future. Heck they were a stone's throw away. The only reason she had to avoid them was the long list of sympathetic looks and old tales of when the two of them were together. But that was reason enough to shut them out of her life since the funeral. She didn't want to be pitied, she had had him. Had owned him and he had owned her and that was nothing to be sympathetic about.

The neglected files sat perched on the side of the swing. All of it was terribly interesting and had peaked her fascination with science once more. Still, she would need more than papers and concepts to cure Jacob and Selmak, if they could be cured. She slid them back into her briefcase and picked up her teacup. Her hands seeped the warmth from the cup as she allowed the idea of miraculous. With alien technology at their fingertips, perhaps even the incurable could be cured.

The wind swept around and her thoughts turned back to her earlier misconception. She wondered about the general and Sam and the Kerry woman. How they all fit together in this mess. Maybe she was looking for something that wasn't there, or maybe they were all really good at hiding it. Now was the time to find out. She picked up the phone to invite Sam over for a little womanly chat.

Sam arrived shortly and curled in next to her, stealing some of the afghan's warmth. She handed Sam a spare cup of tea and the two looked on as the wind made the tree's branches dance. It had been so long since they had had a quiet moment together. No fighting or uncomfortable silences, just a peaceful moment.

"Sam.." Sam shifted uncomfortably, sad that the silence had been broken. "Could you humour me for a bit?"

"Yup." Came the annoyed response, Sam clearly knew where she was headed.

"I know that sometimes I read into things, but I'm having a hard time figuring out your current situation. You've told me already that you are in love with Pete, however.."

She let off, almost not wanting to ask. They were already less than a week away from the wedding. Despite her many attempts to talk to Sam before, this was the first time they had had a quiet moment together and now that it was here she wasn't sure if she wanted an answer.

"You want to know if I'm in love with General O'Neill?"

Yes, she supposed she was that damn obvious, and yes she did want to know. Sam sighed and took a sip of her tea.

"I thought I was." Sam's eyes dropped into her cup. "I don't really know. I admire him, more than anyone else. And he's an incredibly attractive man." Sam paused and her gaze drifted off into the unknown. "When you work with someone for so long, it is hard to tell what is time and what is love."

Not particularly. Well at least she didn't think so, in her case there had been a distinct difference between what she felt for Brian and what she felt for the other members of her unit. Then again she always had been more decisive than Sam. Well that wasn't the answer she had been looking for, it was just more indecision to add to the mix. The silence took over again and both sat in relative peace.

"Katie…"

"Mmmhmm?"

"What was Brian like?"

Words, thoughts, emotions and memories flooded the front of her mind.

"He was.." She smiled and laughed shakily "a total jerk." Sam looked up at her surprised. "He could be the biggest asshole in the unit and he always gave me the hardest time."

Sam laughed at her friend's description and urged her to go on.

"But then, there would be these moments.. when he would do something or say something that would send shivers to my spine. It was like he could see inside of me and knew what was needed at that moment."

She gulped back the overwhelming desire to see him again and smiled at Sam. Get it together girl, she thought, it was so long ago.

"Then one day he told me the team was officially broken up and that we wouldn't be working together anymore. He kissed me for the first time and slipped a ring on my finger, not even bothering to ask. We got married that afternoon."

"You? Acting impulsive?" Sam laughed at the idea. As far fetched as it sounded, she had been.

"When you're in love you'll do anything and defy anyone." She said it as if it was the most rational thing ever stated. Sam's astonishment grew as she spoke those words, but she really couldn't care. It was true. She'd have done anything to be with him.

"Then I'm not in love with Jack." She looked over at Sam, surprised by the announcement. "I'm willing to defy you and Dad by marrying Pete, but I'm not willing to give up my career to be with Jack. Even if you two are happier with the choice." She was floored by the simple statement, but there was clearly an element of truth in it. Sam's face did not change from its serene expression and she was willing to let it be at that. Hope was waning at this point. She turned her gaze away from Sam, wishing the situation to not come down to some desperate last minute conversation. The wind swept around them, and no more words were spoken until the sun set.

The dinner turned out to be a huge success. She hadn't seen Mark in ages, and his children turned out to be little darlings. Jacob was forced into a wheel chair for the event, meaning that there was an abundance of complaints coming from the retired general. She felt more like an outsider than ever. Sam chatted with Pete's mom and sisters, while the men kicked back and told tales. Jacob sat smiling at her, knowing she was up to something. He rolled her to her location and whispered conspiratorially.

"You trying to set Sammie up with Jack?"

Bored old man. She smiled.

"What do you think?"

He sized up the situation, his head rocking lightly from side to side.

"I think it's a lost cause. Sam isn't like us, Kate, she acts and feels differently."

There was more truth in what he said than he knew. Pete whispered a joke into Sam's ear and she smiled wildly, thwacking him lightly on the side. In that moment, a bit of hope was born. He could make her happy. Not the kind of love she had known with Brian, but perhaps Sam was unwilling or unable to risk the whole of her heart in the gamble. Not that she blamed her, when you lost it seemed you lost it all.

"I have to admit I like him." Her head whirled around to look at Jacob. "Don't look so surprised. I can be as easily charmed and entertained as the rest of them."

Well that left her alone in her thinking.

"Do you think she loves him? That she'll be happy with him?"

She honestly didn't know, she could only hope. He paused, looking out at the still laughing couple, before turning back to her.

"I think that Sam can take care of herself, and that you should think more about your own happiness."

She was deeply taken aback by that comment.

"I've already been happy."

He nodded, not about to disagree with her.

"Yes, but the present tense is so much better than the past."

She had no idea what he meant, but he seemed pleased with himself as he rolled off to tease Sam. Pete and Jacob began to talk as she fell back into her own little world. The rest of the dinner whirled around her as she sat.


	10. Chapter 10

_disclaimer same as beginning. stargate is not mine. damn it.  
egads! double digits! I'm finishing up the last two chapters, then they're off to Mira to look over.  
Thanks so much for the reviews, both happy and sad. This has been a great first posting, I'll definitely do more._

The next morning she called Charles without a second thought and took the assignment. She had been wrong, she couldn't stay here. She took half a bath before feeling restless and deciding that she needed to run instead. Without thinking she made her way into the General's neighborhood.She arrived just in time to see him arguing with the Kerry woman in full view of the neighborhood. She stopped for a moment confused by the sight, before he caught her eye, prompting her to run again. Two hours later she realized she had pushed herself too far and that she was going to be sore for the next two days. Which was perfect, of course, those days being the dress rehearsal and the actual wedding. The warm shower was not helping, so the last resort, tea, was brought out. Six cups later and no positive effect, she hoped she could be somewhat agreeable at the bachelorette party.

She changed into less than formal apparel and allowed her couch to surround her as she opened the precious book. His brother, Jimmy, had been stationed with him and had taken all the photos. It had been sheer luck that she had any memories of her wedding day. Slowly she turned through the two years, until her fingertips rested on the last page. Sam hadn't noticed, and she wasn't about to point out the hidden subtlety in the last picture. It was taken two days before he was shot. The two of them were standing on a hilltop, with the wind attacking them from every angle. They had asked a tourist to take the photo, and had turned to smile at the kind woman. Just before she took the photo, his hands slid down to her belly and he had kissed her. The combined expression of delight and shock was evident on her face, as it was on his. They had just learned she was pregnant a day before; she was almost three months. She had miscarried two days after he was shot. The doctors had said the stress her body was under caused it.

A knock on the door reminded her of her plans for the evening, so she shut the little book and placed it back on the table. The four familiar faces greeted her, and they all piled into the SUV. The bar had a good environment to kick back and tell tales. Sam had somehow found out about her clearance, so stories of their exploits grew as the beer bottles piled. Sam, the resident pool shark, took off with Daniel and Teal'c (not Murray) as her latest victims. She was sure they would have figured it out by now that betting money with Sam on pool could lead to only one thing- heartache.

That left her and the general alone again. This time she was happy about it, she could bother him over the Kerry business. He watched his two friends getting slaughtered by Sam, before turning over to look at her.

"You make it a practice to argue in the streets?"

"No, not normally."

If he thought he was going to be able to leave it at that, he was kidding himself. He looked over at her as she anxiously awaited his next words.

"But I suppose you want to know what the fight was about." Good perceptive man. "We broke up."

Interesting. Glancing over at Sam, she wondered as to the reason. Not that it wasn't terribly obvious.

"I guess I'm just not ready for a relationship yet."

Her head turned back quickly to look at him. His face was serious. Well that was ridiculous.

"But if there's the right person involved.." She hinted at him again, wishing for at least a small bit of hope in this annoyingly tragic situation.

"Well that's different." He paused, looking her dead in the eye. "Isn't it."

Yes, she supposed it was. As she watched Sam do a shameless victory lap around the table, she felt very old. She turned back to smile at the general and they went out to join Sam in her excitement.

The hangover she had the next morning hurt like nothing else. She vaguely remembered Teal'c dancing and some form of karaoke, but it could have been a booze inspired dream. Remembering some involvement of her own, she began to hope it was a dream and not reality. She stretched and yawned before looking out the window to see the sun on the wrong side of the house. What the hell? Her cell phone chimed into the chaos claiming she had missed over thirty calls. The thing wasn't even on silent mode. Looking to the clock on the side, she sprung out of bed. It was less than an hour until the dress rehearsal. How unprofessional of her.

She rolled into her comfortable clothes, not caring what anyone would think. A lot of that going on lately. Anyway it was Sam, Sam who knew she loved her old clothes more than anything. She would understand. Clipping her curls into the high ponytail, she bounded to her car. After dropping by a coffee shop to get some tea, she arrived at the church to orchestrate the madness.

After talking to the pastor, checking with the music group and showing everyone around the area so they would know where to go tomorrow, she sat down in the church. Ready to dish out her next surprise to Sam. She pulled her aside and asked Sam what she thought of the décor. There really wasn't any, well not compared to what was coming in tonight.

"It's great." Sam said, forcing a smile.

"Well, I know it's not as much as I normally do. But there wasn't much cash to work with."

Sam nodded and continued to smile at her friend before squeezing her into a hug.

"I'm sure you did your best."

Ah, so unaware, not that poor Sam would know to be aware of anything. She'd never pulled a prank on Sam in her life, since she had a serious reputation to keep. Or maybe she was serious back then, and Brian had taught her better. Sam broke off the embrace and went back to take her position. She managed to smiled as Pete as the men took their positions, before turning to ask the family members present to take their seats.

Once the music started up, she instructed the youngest blonde how to walk up the aisle. The next girl watched her younger sister carefully and needed little instruction. The third girl followed and she paused to allow a space for her to walk in the music. The double doors opened and Sam and wheelchair bound Jacob went down the aisle. The wheelchair was only for the rehearsal, as it would take all of Jacob's strength to make it down walking once. She walked them through where they would be standing and then took her place at Sam's side, allowing the Pastor to take over.

Once his part of the service was over, she instructed the couple to pause a moment after they kissed for photographs. Then it was walking back down the aisle. She would exit with Pete's buddy, a bowler hat topped Teal'c with the eldest blonde, the general with the middle and a giddy Daniel with the youngest. Pulling the last two aside, she let them in on a bit of the secret. They promised to not tell and went off to the waiting dinner.

This was her chance to change into something a bit more suitable. She went back to her house and changed into a more appropriate outfit. The rehearsal dinner felt a bit like the last supper to her. Pete was in full on drool mode and his family's fawning wasn't much better. Sam was slightly above the spectacle, but was also happy being the center of attention.

Daniel came over to amuse her and to ask if there were any more surprises, which she assured him there were. After a bit more laughter and revelry, she excused herself. She said that she was tired and needed to rest for the big day. The real reason was far more insidious.

She flipped her pumps off as she entered the church to see to the waiting staff. They all appeared to be thrilled to be in on this little scheme. So without further adieu, she put them to work. Six and a half-hours later at nearly three in the morning, the transformation was almost complete. A cheer broke out amongst the workers and she thanked them all for a job well done.


	11. Chapter 11

_disclaimer same as beginning. If I owned Stargate all of this would be canon, hmm... _  
_I've combined the last two chapters into one. So this is the end.  
Wow, love all the long reviews. I'm sure you will all let me know what you think of the ending._

_Great thanks to Mira for reading this story through and encouraging me to post it, despite my uncertainty.  
Thanks to my brother. Semper Fi.  
And thanks to everyone that has reviewed this story. _

_- _

_"Semper Fidelis" ("Always Faithful")_ is the motto of the Corps. That Marines have lived up to this motto is proved by the fact that there has never been a mutiny, or even the thought of one, among U.S. Marines.

_- _

The morning started off early. She rose, bathed, and brought an entire thermos of tea with her, waiting for the onslaught of typical problems to appear. More flowers were being brought in today, and the ones that had been placed last night were gently being misted and blown at to assure they were fully open. The fragrance from the blossoms was overwhelming. Keeping the groom from poking into the church was a harder task than she had thought it would be. Thankfully, Daniel had gone to pick up the suits and dresses, which took a bit off of her load. The restaurant called with a list of complaints and the cake was apparently lost in the mail. Things were just heating up.

Daniel came back earlier than expected with the garments and asked if he could peak into the now finished church. She nodded, needing to show him his part in the ceremony anyways and opened the door. His facial expression was more than rewarding.

"Wow." He took in all the flowers and looked back at her. "This is incredible. Sam will love it."

She nodded, certainly hoping so, before taking him over to his position and explaining his role. He listened in awe as she spoke, and as she finished he pulled her into a hug.

"Thanks so much."

Sam really had found great friends. They both shared a moment looking around the lush area, before she looked at the time and reminded him to deliver the clothes to their respective owners. The mail had thankfully found the cake and the restaurant had received its list of needs. Putting the last ladder away and thanking the last aide, she opened the doors for the guests to come in. It was time for her to be a friend and not a planner.

Sam was pacing alone in her little room as the girls had gone off to change. She opened the door and took a step in, measuring her mood. Sam looked more nervous than ever, nervous and not in her wedding gown. Seeing her enter, Sam stopped.

"Do you think I'm doing the right thing?"

As a wedding planner she'd heard these words more times than she could count. But those were strangers, this was a friend. The pat answer was not the correct way to go in this situation. So, it was to come down to one last desperate conversation, after all the time they had had before. She carefully chose her words, deciding to ask instead of answer.

"What do you think?"

Sam's pacing started again, each pass and her agitation grew.

"I don't know."

Sam stopped and turned to her for advice. It was something she had been waiting for for years, and yet now she really didn't want it.

"I can't tell you how to live, Sam. I don't know your heart as well as you know it."

Sam's fingers clasped and she looked down at the floor.

"Were you nervous before you married Brian?"

She laughed. "No, I didn't have any time." Truthfully, even if she had time the answer would have been no. Anxious and terrified that she wouldn't be good enough for him, yes, but nervous.. no.

"But you knew you were doing the right thing?"

Sam's eyes were now frantic. Everything she had mettled in and said had lead to this moment, had granted her this influence over her young friend. Now she stood at a crossroads, either she was to be a faithful friend or a commanding one. A little word here or there from her and she realized she could change the course of Sam's life. She really didn't want that power.

"I knew that I loved Brian and that if I let him get away I would never forgive myself."

Hopefully that threw it back as Sam's decision and hadn't tainted it with her own opinion. Sam pondered her words carefully, before slowly pacing again. Finally after what seemed like a millennia, Sam turned to face her.

"Would you help me put my dress on?"

She nodded and knew that Sam had made up her mind. She turned to pick up the dress and let out a wistful sigh. Semper fi, she thought with a smile.

She zipped up her own dress and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was not so old and perhaps she was still beautiful. Not that it really mattered, why be beautiful if there is no one to be beautiful for. She walked back out into Sam's room and opened each flower box, handing out the bouquets. The girls attempted, mostly unsuccessful, to keep their squealing down. Jacob sat in his wheel chair and smiled proudly at her for a moment, before turning to look at his daughter.

The girls began to walk in front of her, each a little faster than rehearsed, but that was to be expected. It was her turn to walk. She paused, realizing that she had never done this before. Her first step into the magical room nearly took all of the breath out of her. She wished she could see Sam's expression as she stepped out on the petal covered floor and looked out toward the flower covered arbor. The drab church had been turned into a fairyland that was worthy of any royal wedding she had ever done.

Looking up at Pete, who was still enchanted, she smiled and he offered her a teary thanks. He had won this little battle, quite unwittingly. Pete's friend nodded a thanks to her as well. Teal'c stood proudly offering her a warm smile, Daniel was barely able to contain himself and the general's face was indescribable. Her heart slowed down for a moment as they locked eyes and an odd smile crossed their faces as she made her way up. Just as she was about to turn, she lost eye contact with him and the music gave way to Sam's theme.

She missed Sam's first moments as she took in the room, but the tears that Jacob had as he slowly walked his baby girl down the aisle sufficed. There wasn't a dry eye in the house as he made it to the front of the church, gave his girl a kiss and handed her over to the man that was now to take care of her. Jacob sat slowly, clearly winded, but without a hint of how much that walk had cost him.

The two gushed with professions of love and devotion, rings were exchanged and a kiss was shared. She quickly motioned to Daniel and the youngest blonde, who took their places and pulled on the ribbons that allowed the rose petals to fall on the oblivious couple. Sam squealed looking up at the falling petals, and offered Pete another kiss. Then they slowly walked back down the aisle, man and wife.

-

The reception went on splendidly. She mumbled through a toast, hoping it sounded all right. Sam and Pete fed each other cake, both being cruel in the process. Everyone had at least two pieces, affirming her choice of a larger size for the small crowd. She was showered with compliments for her work. Normally this would be a positive thing, instead she felt more than a little guilty for nearly breaking up the newlyweds.

Jacob, rejoined with his wheelchair, wheeled over and thanked her for the event. He said it was peaceful to know that both of his children were now married and cared for. He added that he hoped she might be cared for too, and wheeled off without an explanation. The dinner finished and the nervous couple made their way over to the makeshift dance floor. They danced slowly as she watched, the old song having a familiar effect on her.

She stood alone, taking in the sight. She had orchestrated everything that led to this moment, and now she was forced to reap the consequences. Sam was married to a man that undoubtedly didn't deserve her. She being the loyal friend had not been able to stop it without taking insurrectionary action. She watched the general as he sat alone in a corner, sipping on champagne and taking in the moment with Jacob. This would have been the ideal moment for her to make her escape, but Teal'c bowed and led her to the dance floor. Daniel cut in mid way and praised her all over again for the event, making a note of their progress with the ancient site they had found and its possible positive ramifications for Jacob's life. A smile tugged at her lips as he went over the details of the find. Quite possibly a miraculous find. She really had thought too little of him, he could be quite charming.

A small friendly debate broke out as they talked, which was broken up when Mark motioned her over to chat with the family. In all the activity, she found that she was not the outsider she had thought. Instead, in this tiny little place she had all the friends and family she needed. Finally tiring of the crowd, she went outside to get some air. The sky was just as starry as every night, but tonight it seemed brighter.

"Leaving?"

She turned around to see the general standing in the doorframe.

"No, wedding planners are usually in charge of the clean up committee."

He nodded and took a step in her direction. He turned and looked at the starry sight that had preoccupied her.

"We should probably go back in."

He nodded again, opening the door for her and ushering her in. They wove themselves through the crowd and turned to look over at Sam and Pete. Both waving, they turned and laughed nervously at each other.

"She looks happy."

She nodded at his assessment and turned to look at him.

"Then you got what you wanted."

He nodded and leaned his head in the direction of the dance floor. She followed blindly, knowing it would seem strange if she danced with everyone but him. He pulled her in closely and looked down at her. Wordlessly, they made their way around the floor.

"You did a great job planning this thing."

She was tired of flattery. "Oh please. If it was up to me this day wouldn't have happened. I deserve absolutely no credit."

He smiled, finding her amusing.

"Well thanks anyways."

It came out in a playful tone and she laughed softly at the comment.

"You planning on staying in the neighborhood?"

She didn't know. Didn't know why he was asking or why she didn't know if she was staying. Jacob rolled by at that moment and offered her a sly smile, confirming some sort of conspiracy on his part. Of what, she had no idea. She flinched as an idea came to her. In all her conversations with the general he had never confessed to loving Sam. He had avoided the topic at every turn. Her instincts were usually correct, but there was the off chance.. She bit her lip and pulled back a little to be able to see his face. Flustered, her breathing quickened and she looked down at their enlaced hands.

"I don't know. I have an assignment for six months in a remote area of the world."

"Specific."

"Wish I could be."

"I know how it is." He paused, before his tone returned its seriousness. "Could I say anything to get you to stay?"

She didn't know. Stay, stay where? Here in this room? In this town? Or did he mean with him? Sinking into his embrace further, she contemplated the idea and softly laughed. He did have that knack of saying the right thing at the right time. She looked over once more at the happy couple and decided to take Jacob's advice. Perhaps it was better to be happy in the present tense.

-

_Late September - Six months later._

"Have you caught anything yet?" Her head looked up at him from the awkward angle, but he could still make out the smug grin.

"No, getting fish is not important." He paused and gestured out at the great outdoors. "Fishing is important."

"Well, that's all well and good, but what am I going to eat?" Besides the food in the fridge, of course.

"You know, you are ruining this fishing experience." Despite the annoyance, she could tell he was smiling.

"What happened to 'Please come, it won't be the same without you'?" Now they were both grinning. The steam from the tea warmed her face as she sat out on the dock. She offered him a cup and he begrudgingly took it.

"It's either warm tea or cold beer."

His grumbling continued as he drank the warm liquid. He held the empty cup over as she filled it up for the fourth time. Putting the cup down, he pulled her in with his now unoccupied arm. She rested her head on his shoulder, and pushed back a few stray curls that had caught themselves in a breeze. A pleasant silence took over them, along with the hope of a future.. possibly even together.


End file.
